Nov 20 (DM) SL’s healthcare system has the opportunity to save up to GBP 8.2 billion in around 30 years, through comprehensive Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR), a medical expert on tobacco regulation declared recently. This amounts to Rs. 3.32 trillion, according to today’s exchange rate. Dr Rohan Sequeira, a leading consultant cardio-endocrine physician, also revealed that the healthcare sector spends around GBP 400m more..

Nov 20 (FT) SL will assume the Chairmanship of the Asia Tea Alliance (ATA) for 2026-2027, with Tea Small Holdings Development Authority (TSHDA) Chairman Nimal Udugampola taking on the role. Announcement coincides with Colombo hosting the 6th ATA Annual Meeting at Lotus Tower, on 27 Nov, convened by Solidaridad Asia Managing Director Dr. Shatadru Chattopadhayay, followed by the Asia International Tea Summit 2025 under the theme Tea Reimagined: Regenerative, Resilient, and more..

Nov 20 (TM) Instructions have been issued to police stations to initiate legal action against foreign nationals driving three-wheelers without valid licences, Police Headquarters stated. Authorities clarified that an international driving licence alone is insufficient. Foreigners must obtain a temporary licence from the Dept of Motor Traffic, provided their existing credentials cover the relevant category. Foreign nationals must obtain a temporary licence to drive three-wheelers more..

Nov 20 (CT) The ITAK delegation that met President Anura Kumara Dissanayake at the Presidential Secretariat said the discussions were open but not fruitful. According to ITAK MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam, the President responded to most of the key matters raised by the party with only, Let’s see. The talks focused on the proposed new constitutional reforms, the long-delayed Provincial Council Elections, and the recent Trincomalee incident. more..

Nov 20 (NW) Twelve classic SL films will be showcased at the Festival des 3 Continents in Nantes, France, from Nov. 21–29, as part of the France India SL Cinema Heritage project, the French Embassy in Colombo said. Supported by the French Embassy in Colombo, the program, titled On the Roads of the Golden Age of SL Cinema, celebrates the island’s cinematic legacy on an international stage. The Festival explores Sri Lankan cinema with an exceptional programme of rare works, more..

Nov 20 (DM) Nearly a quarter of a million vacancies are set to remain unfilled across SL’s public sector as the govt moves to limit new recruitments to the bare minimum for the upcoming fiscal year (2026). Cadre Information of Public Sector 2025 report, released alongside the fiscal position report, reveals that while the total approved cadre for the public sector is 1.325 million, the actual number of employees as of June 30, 2025, more..

Nov 20 (EN) Sri Lanka has received 20 responses from investors to construct a build operate transfer (BOT) refinery at the Sapugaskanda petroleum complex, Energy Minister Kumara Jayakody said. Expressions of interest for the 100,000 barrel per day refinery closed in Sept 26, he said. “Now the evaluation of the expressions of interest is in the last stages,” Minister Jakody told parliament. “As the next stage, Requests for Proposals will be called under the govt procurement system.” more..

Nov 20 (AD) SLBFE Chairman, Kosala Wickramasinghe, stated that the bureau aims to establish a pool of 5,000 Sri Lankans who have completed Japanese language training within 2026. He made this statement during a meeting held yesterday between the SLBFE’s top management and a delegation of heads of Japanese company that have recruited Sri Lankans for employment in Japan. The primary purpose of the Japanese delegation’s visit is to explore the potential more..

Nov 20 (AD) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake says his goal is to prevent children from becoming victims of the drug menace, and that a govt has now been formed that will not provide political protection to any criminal. He asserted that not a single criminal or individual connected to the drug network will receive political protection. Prez stated this during the ceremony to launch the Southern Provincial Programme of the more..

Nov 20 (DM) The order placed for a vehicle for the Lanka Electricity Company (LECO) Chairman has been cancelled and an inquiry has been launched into the order of the vehicle, Power and Energy Minister Kumara Jayakody said today. Responding to an allegation by MP Ravi Karunanayake, the Minister told Parliament that the vehicle had been ordered by the LECO officials without the knowledge of former Chairman Janaka Aluthge while he was out of the country. more..

Nov 20 (NW) MP D.V. Chanaka questioned the govt today on contradictory statements by its ministers on the requirements to obtain a Police clearance certificate. MP Chanaka said that yesterday, Minister of Public Admin accepted that there was a requirement for a certificate from the Public Security Committee of an area for a person to obtain clearance certificates from the Police. “This morning we have Ministers Nalinda Jayatissa and Ananda Wijepala saying that it is not a requirement,” more..

Nov 20 (EN) Sri Lanka has increased female representation in parliament from 5 to 10 percent in the last election, the delegation representing the Indian Ocean island at the Inter Parliamentary Union (IPU) forum on gender equality was told. Among the delegates was Kushani Rohanadeera the Secretary General of Parliament. Oshani Umanga, Member of Parliament, told the forum that Sri Lanka had made significant strides in increasing women’s political participation. more..

Nov 20 (TM) A recent survey conducted by an organization representing transgender sex workers has revealed that between 25% and 30% of transgender sex workers in the country are addicted to drugs. Many transgender individuals choose sex work after being sidelined by their families and excluded from their homes due to their gender identity. This perceived occupational freedom contributes to the addiction of narcotics, including crystal meth (ice), heroin & cannabis. more..

Nov 20 (TM) Local three-wheeler driver unions reiterated their clarion call for the relevant transport authorities to regulate the sector in the wake of a recent, highly publicised, incident of a foreign female tourist travelling as a passenger in a three-wheeler being harassed by another three-wheeler driver. Two incidents of sexual harassment of female foreign tourists came to light in recent days. In the first incident, a female foreign more..

Nov 20 (DN) SL’s Deputy Minister of Sports, Sugath Thilakaratne, arrived in Pakistan this morning (19) on an official mission initiated under the directive of the Minister of Sports. The visit comes in response to an invitation extended by the Pakistani govt, with Thilakaratne set to attend matches of the ongoing SL–Pakistan–Zimbabwe Tri-Nation T20 Series. During his stay, he will meet with members of the SL squad to uplift morale and offer direct encouragement as tournament progresses. more..

Nov 20 (EN) SL has connected 800 MegaWatts of solar power to the national grind mostly made up of rooftop units, Minister Kumara Jayakody said. “In 2024 only 533MW of solar power was connected,” he said. “Already by October we have connected 800MW of solar. It is mainly rooftop with a small amount of ground mounted solar.” “We may be able to get 900MW to 1,000MW of solar by year end.” The NPP had given an election promise that 2,000MW of solar energy would be more..

Nov 20 (EN) SriLankan Airlines has restructured its defaulted bonds with a 15% haircut which will exchange for cash and a 4% amortizing government bond, a Singapore stock exchange filing said. “We are very pleased to have finally reached an agreement with the Ad Hoc Group of Bondholders, allowing us to now look to the future of our Company with greater optimism,” Chairman of SriLankan Airlines Sarath Ganegoda said more..

Nov 20 (AD) SL Police announced that vehicular movement will be restricted due to a public rally scheduled to be held on Friday (21) at the Ananda Samarakoon Open Air Theatre, within the Mirihana Police Division. The special traffic and security plan has been implemented to ensure the safety of Members of Parliament, dignitaries, political party leaders, representatives, supporters, and the public attending the rally. Accordingly, from 2.00 p.m. until the conclusion of the rally, more..

Nov 20 (AD) A team of experts attached to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of the US Department of Commerce and the Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command (NMOC) has arrived in Sri Lanka to help expand the country’s hydrographic mapping skills. Experts from the NOAA and the NMOC arrived for a new project with Sri Lankan partners to expand the country’s hydrographic mapping skills, according to US Ambassador to Sri Lanka Julie Chung. more..

Nov 20 (FT) Sri Lanka’s poultry industry stands today as one of the most advanced agribusiness sectors in the country—technologically modern, fully self-sufficient, and supported by decades of investment in hatcheries, breeder farms, feed mills, broiler operations, and processing facilities. Yet in spite of this strength, the industry is stagnant. Much of the national capacity remains underutilised, profitability has weakened, and the sector is unable to expand into export markets. more..

Nov 20 (FT) Despite the 2/3rds parliamentary majority which guaranteed the Budget’s passage, neither Prez AKD nor PM Harini attended COP 30 in Brazil. JVP-NPP skipped BRICS, SCO & COP 30, but signed a Defence Partnership MoU with the USA (National Guard, Coast Guard, US Dept. of War), while the US has amassed a huge force and is militarily targeting Venezuela, blowing-up people in boats in the Caribbean and Pacific, accusing them without a shred of evidence of being drug more..

Nov 20 (TM) The Amarapura Buddhist Sect stated that the newly established Buddha Sasana Council – which brings together the secretaries of all chapters of the Buddhist sects – will compile a detailed report on land related disputes involving Buddhist temples across the country. Secretary of the Sect, Ven. Balapitiye Siri Seevali Thera said that the secretaries of the three main Buddhist sects – Siam, Ramanna, more..

Nov 20 (DN) UNICEF SL Representative Emma Brigham welcomed the strong focus on child rights in the Govt’s priorities and messaging in a tight fiscal space. However she noted that around four in ten children in SL are deprived of at least two indicators of the Multidimensional Poverty Index. Multidimensional Poverty Index measures poverty beyond income, capturing multiple deprivations in areas such as health, education and living standards, including access to clean water, more..

Nov 20 (NW) Sri Lanka has revised several fees related to the issuance of driving licences for both citizens and foreign nationals, following new regulations issued under the Motor Traffic Act. According to the Extraordinary Gazette No. 2463/04 dated 17 Nov 2025, the fee for issuing a driving licence to a Sri Lankan citizen who already holds a foreign licence has been set at Rs. 30,000. The fee for a foreign national in the same category has been set at Rs. 60,000. more..

Nov 20 (TM) In the wake of Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake stating in Parliament that certain evidence linked to 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks was destroyed, Police stated that it is yet to receive specific information on what material was lost or who was responsible for the same. ASP F.U. Wootler said that no information related to the alleged destruction of evidence had been received thus far. “This matter is currently with CID. more..

Nov 20 (AD) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake says he held a meeting with a delegation of MPs from the TNA, this afternoon (19) at the Presidential Secretariat following a request made by the party. He said the discussions focused on the Provincial Council elections and the need for a new Constitution. Dissanayake said he emphasized that the Govt believes the longstanding issues faced by the people of the N&E Provinces can no longer be resolved through outdated political solutions. more..

Nov 20 (FT) Emigrate workers› trade fair organised by the SL bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) with Varieties of products stalls of emigrate workers will be held on 20 Nov 2025 at Diyatha Uyana. This event is being held to commemorate the 40th anniversary of SLBFE’S founding. The fair offers reasonably priced goods from emigrant workers who are successfully operating their businesses after arriving in Sri Lanka and it is organised by the reintegration division of SLBFE. more..

Nov 20 (FT) Supreme Court has granted leave to proceed in the Fundamental Rights application filed by Bar Association of SL (BASL) over the suicide of Charith Dilshan, a second-year student of the Faculty of Technology, Sabaragamuwa Uni (SUSL), who died after enduring severe ragging on or around 26 April. The matter was supported before a bench comprising Justices Yasantha Kodagoda, PC and Janak de Silva. The application, filed by BASL President Rajeev Amarasuriya and more..

Nov 20 (AD) Deputy Minister Arun Hemachandra, has held a constructive meeting in Brussels, Belgium this afternoon with Bernd Lange, Member of the European Parliament, Chair of the International Trade Committee (INTA), and EU GSP+ Rapporteur. The discussion focused on enhancing SL’s partnership with the European Union, particularly the continuation of the GSP+ scheme, promoting fair-trade cooperation, and expanding opportunities for SL exporters in EU market, a statement said. more..

Nov 20 (CT) Attorney General’s Dept informed Court, yesterday, that investigations into a complaint filed under the Public Property Act against former Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe—over an alleged loss of more than Rs 150 million to the State during a private visit to London—are now in their final stage, and that a case will be filed in the High Court within the next month. According to the complaint, the alleged financial loss more..

Nov 20 (FT) SL’s tea crop posted a marginal improvement in October 2025, although the month’s performance reflected mixed conditions across elevations. Provisional data compiled by Forbes & Walker Research show the October crop at 21.78 million kilos (Mnkg), an increase of 0.50 Mnkg over the 21.28 Mnkg recorded in Oct 2024. All elevations except the Low Grown segment reported negative variances against last year. Compared to Oct 2023, the crop fell by 1.22 Mnkg from 23.0 Mnkg. more..

Nov 20 (Island) SL will pin their hopes on the red-hot blade of Pathum Nissanka when the tri-nation T20 series bowls off today, with the prolific opener chasing a historic rise to the summit of world cricket. Ranked third in the globe, the 27-year-old heads into the clash against Zimbabwe with the wind in his sails after that jaw-dropping hundred against world champions India in the recent Asia Cup — an innings that lit up the tournament. He also exposed weaknesses in India’s famous bowling attack. more..